Gauge of US economy’s health rises 0.1 percent

A measure of the economy’s health rose modestly in December, suggesting that growth will remain steady early this year.

The Conference Board said Thursday that its index of leading indicators rose 0.1 percent last month. That’s down from a 1 percent gain in November, the month after a partial 16-day shutdown of the federal government.

The index is designed to signal economic conditions over the next three to six months.

The surge in stock prices helped lift the index last month. Worries about upcoming budget battles in Washington could cause businesses and consumers to curb their spending.

But Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein said a “better-than-expected holiday season might point to sustained stronger demand and could put the U.S. on a faster growth track in 2014.”

One comment

The number is $17 Trillion in debt. And that along with gov’t overspending is causing the economy to sit and do nothing. The budget is bloated, the fed is omnipotent, and national debt is killing anything that slightly resembles free market. Two terms of Obama and we will certainly not look anything like the US of A. He is very successful at one promise – “fundamentally transforming the United States of America”.